Perfect Banana Bread: Ripe or Yellow Bananas?

[Julie Dawe]

I have a great recipe for a banana bread that I want to try out but I have a question I am hoping someone can answer. Does the banana need to be black (really ripe) or can I use banana's that are yellow but not green? Will it make a difference in how the banana bread will turn out?

 

[Tina Nord]

I would not wait until your bananas turn black because this is pretty much rotten. I make banana bread when they have a lot of brown spots on them. Yellow bananas make the bread too chunky for my liking.

 

[Jessi]

You don't have to wait until they are full black, like Tina said, but it DOES make a difference in how the bread turns out. You need them to be "mushy," for lack of a better word.

So if you have yellow bananas and you don't want to wait for them to ripen more, dice them up and toss them in the microwave for a bit until they are warm. Once warmed, take a fork them and mash them. This will get you closer to the texture you need for the bread.

 

[Julie Dawe]

Thank you so much! That's what I wanted to know. I wasn't sure if it would make a difference in the texture of the bread and you both have clarified that for me. Thank you so much!

 

[Danyel72]

I have a great recipe for a banana bread that I want to try out but I have a question I am hoping someone can answer. Does the banana need to be black (really ripe) or can I use banana's that are yellow but not green? Will it make a difference in how the banana bread will turn out?

I always wait until the bananas are dark brown but not black. Lots of spots on them. By waiting until then the bananas are really ripe and very sweet. They mash up easier and give a smoother texture in the bread as well. Learned that from my mom.

Banana bread is my favorite! I have a loaf I just baked yesterday on my counter. Yummy !! Hope this helps!!

Danyel

 

[tangela]

Speaking of which, anyone here know a good banana bread recipe that does NOT need baking powder? I was going to make some yesterday until I realize I don't have any baking powder at home

 

[Kat R]

I have used bananas of all kinds. Most of the time I use the bananas that have been forgotten on the counter and nobody is willing to eat them. Other times I want to make banana bread and do not have bananas waiting for me. The yellow ones leave you with banana bits that you can see in your bread. The browner bananas mash up well and have a smoother bread look and may be a sweeter bread.

 

[longhair]

I think I have used bananas of varying degrees of ripeness as well. Maybe they weren't quite black yet, per say, but pretty close. I have two banana bread recipes. I have one that takes eggs and one that is eggless. On occasion I have waited too long and the banana has just reached even a banana bread point of no return having to be tossed. That is rare though. They do need to be on the mushy side for sure.

 

[Winterybella]

A banana bread was my biggest achievement since I started baking more from scratch. It was a major hit and was a last minute decision based on some bananas that were on they way out. They were not black but very, very ripe and not like your typical bananas as they were straight from my mom's tree: no chemicals. Those banana actually look different and were much smaller than the average banana in the supermarket. I just know my banana bread is the one item that has been requested by my son and I am a little scared as I want it to be perfect.

I read somewhere too firm bananas and too much bananas can make a big difference and not in a good way. The bread can turn out too heavy.

 

[joycemcgregor]

I use bananas that are flecked with brown for my banana bread. I have used yellow bananas at times and there is a difference in taste. Something that I do with my bananas regardless of the stage of ripeness is process them in my blender with the eggs and the oil/shortening/butter. It makes the bananas nice and smooth which is a good thing because no one in my family like chunks of bananas in the bread. After I mix the blended banana mixture into the dry ingredients I then add nuts, chocolate chips or very well drained crushed pinapple to the bread before baking.

 

[barkingsquirrel]

Something no one mentioned is how well bananas freeze. If you have bananas on your counter that are getting dark fast, but you don't have time to use them in cooking just yet, wrap them in plastic wrap or in a gallon ziplock bag and pop them into your freezer until you can use them. This has happened to me more times than I can count, and I've just put them into the freezer until I'm ready for them. To defrost the bananas, place them in your fridge overnight, and you should be good to go the next day.

 

[Winterybella]

Something no one mentioned is how well bananas freeze. If you have bananas on your counter that are getting dark fast, but you don't have time to use them in cooking just yet, wrap them in plastic wrap or in a gallon ziplock bag and pop them into your freezer until you can use them. This has happened to me more times than I can count, and I've just put them into the freezer until I'm ready for them. To defrost the bananas, place them in your fridge overnight, and you should be good to go the next day.

Thanks for that tip. I have used pop them in the fridge when I was planning to use them the next day but the whole freezer idea makes sense. Sometimes I think of all the bananas I threw out. What a shame! At least now I know better. I think I have been thinking about more now because it's been weeks since I could put my hand on a fully ripe banana just ready to use for my baking.

 

[JamieRose]

Hm. I see this is kind of an older post, but I figured I'd share something I figured out. I roast my bananas in the oven for 15 mins at 325. They get nice and mushy and taste really yummy! Even if they are perfectly yellow. They work great!

 

[joycemcgregor]

I prefer speckled bananas to make banana bread, however; I do use yellow bananas on occasion. I do not like any banana chunks in my banana bread so I put them in the blender. I go ahead and add the eggs and the shortening to the blender, too. Then I pour it all into the dry ingredients and mix well then add nuts, chocolate chips, coconut or whatever else I want in the bread. Into the greased pans and then into the oven. My kids all like the chunkless bread. By the way,,, banana bread is the only way I will eat a banana,, I do not like the texture of them, which is probably why I do not like banana chunks in my banana bread.

 

[Diane Lane]

I use bananas that are flecked with brown for my banana bread. I have used yellow bananas at times and there is a difference in taste. Something that I do with my bananas regardless of the stage of ripeness is process them in my blender with the eggs and the oil/shortening/butter. It makes the bananas nice and smooth which is a good thing because no one in my family like chunks of bananas in the bread. After I mix the blended banana mixture into the dry ingredients I then add nuts, chocolate chips or very well drained crushed pinapple to the bread before baking.

Yum, I never thought of adding pineapple chunks, but I do often add blueberries. Next time I make banana bread, I'm going to add in some crushed pineapple. Do you use canned, and if so, do you add in a whole (what size?) can?